Little new on drive-by shooting

5-year-old shot in leg

Police cordone off a section of Pointe South Drive Saturday evening.

A 5-year-old was wounded in a drive-by shooting Saturday evening in Hinesville. According to an incident report by Hinesville Police Officer Robert Smith, he and several officers responded to a call of shots fired in the 200 block of Pointe South Drive shortly after 6:30 p.m. Smith found Latesha White, who lives in the targeted home, holding the child. A towel was wrapped around his left thigh, which was bleeding from a gunshot wound.White told officers the child had been eating in the kitchen and was either sitting at or standing on a counter when bullets began to rain into the home.In addition to White and the child, who was visiting, there were two other people in the home. Shantell Casey and Shadena Bennett told Smith they were in the garage when they heard what sounded like gunfire, and immediately dropped to the floor. When the firing stopped they heard screams from inside and found the wounded youngster.A forest green SUV was seen speeding away from the residential area, though detectives would not confirm if the vehicle was involved in the shootingWhen police searched around the residence, they found six .40 caliber casings on the street. According to the report, there were several bullet holes in the clapboard home, even in a rear bedroom and dining room. A storage shed in the backyard of the house next door also was damaged. According to the report, homeowner Ann Mitchell, told police the shooting may have been in retaliation of an altercation a friend of her son had with other individuals.Det. Tracey Howard said a vehicle parked outside the home had also been shot at a week earlier. He added the weapon may have been an semi-automatic weapon.Authorities would not name the child. They did say he was treated at Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah and had been released by late Sunday.“We are asking the public for any help in solving this case,” Howard said. “And if they have information to call Crime Stopper or the Hinesville Police Department.”The HPD’s phone numbers are 368-8211 or 368-8215.